SteemChurch: What God wants for his Church

The boy liked to build castles in the sand. He lived near the beach, so he could indulge in it very often. One day, a group of older children arrived who began to laugh at their efforts and kick them down. The child suffered seeing the free destruction of so much effort.

When the same thing happened for several days in a row, the child decided it was time to take action. The next day, when he began to build his sandcastles, he first hid concrete blocks, stones and partitions in his foundations.

When the bullies arrived to destroy their works, the boy hid while they realized that things were not as they used to be. His bare feet soon discovered that the castles were not just soft sand, and now they had to suffer.

Today, there are many who also attack the Church. In front of the thugs of sin, materialism and false religions, it seems that the Church will be destroyed. What can be forgotten, however, is that the Church is built on a rock. Jesus said, "On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

The Church of Jesus Christ is backed by all the power of God. The Church is not simply another human institution that advances with human effort and that can fall through human weakness. The Church of God has a divine strength, that of the Holy Spirit.

God has given us 100% of his support. Now it is up to us to do our part, because we are collaborators of God. We have to work together to raise the Church that God desires. Now, if we are going to work to raise the Church, we have to know what we are building. A work without spreadsheets soon becomes confusion.

For this reason, today we are going to consider what God wants for his Church. In his Word, God has told us what he wants for us as his people. First,

God wants to have a Church that praises

If someone asked you what God formed the Church for, what would you answer? Maybe you had never even considered the question! Precisely at this point there is much confusion. Some people, when considering the why of the Church, seem to think that God created the Church for them.

Perhaps they would not express it precisely in this way, but if we asked them what the Church is for, they would say that the Church exists so that they can feel good, to fill their needs, to help them when they lack something and to be like a family for them. when they feel alone

It is good that the Church does these things, but if we think that they are the reason why the Church exists, we are in error. Other people, with a broader perspective, would say that the Church exists to change society. They imagine the Church as little more than another political party, and believe that the Church should lean to the left or to the right, according to its own inclination.

Is it for this that God called the Church? Let's go back to the beginning, when God formed the people of Israel. We find in Exodus 7:16 the reason: "And say to him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness, and behold, until now you have not wanted hear". God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people out to praise God. This is what the words serve or worship mean.

In the beginning, God's purpose in forming a people for himself was to praise him. In 3,500 years, things have not changed. God still wants his Church to praise him. When the Church stops worshiping its Lord, it begins to lose direction.

Here is a great irony. When we walk down the street, we have to look down to not trip. However, as a Church, we have to look up to avoid stumbling! When the Church begins to look only at the world, or only inwards, it begins to become unbalanced.

Source

We can see an example of this in Paul's call to serve as a missionary. When did God call Paul in a specific way to be a missionary? Let's see the answer in Acts 13: 2: "Ministering these to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." God's call to Paul came while participating in the worship of the Lord - that is, while worshiping God!

This shows that the mission of the Church arises from its nature as a people that it adores. In other words, we will only be able to serve God if we know how to worship Him first. A Church that does not know how to praise, however active it may be, is an unbalanced Church.

God's purpose in forming a worshiping church is seen in Revelation 22: 3, when we see the redeemed Church in heaven adoring God: "And there will be no more curse, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. " Praise is the reason for the existence of the Church; it is what shapes our mission in this world; and that is what we will do during eternity. God really wants a Church that praises!

Now, how are we going to be a praising Church? I could preach a whole series of messages on this subject, but let me say only one thing: we have to value worship. We have to come to the Church eager to be in the presence of God and ready to give him the honor he deserves.

Therefore, I ask you: do you value praise? Do you feel part of a Church that praises? This year, God wants us to learn from the heart to praise Him. Jesus said it: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for surely to such the Father seeks to be worshiped" (John 4:23). Do you want to be one of those worshipers?

God wants to have a Church that praises. Secondly,

God wants to have a Church that loves

Do you know what is the mark that distinguishes the followers of Jesus Christ? It is not the cross that is hung on the neck, nor is it the name that appears on the sign outside of its Church, nor is it the fish that is stuck on the car's defense. Jesus himself told us what brand should distinguish us. Let's see it in John 13: 34-35:

13:34 A new commandment I give to you: That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
13:35 By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Jesus said that everyone will know that we are his disciples, if we love one another. This is the indelible mark of the true Christian and of the Church where God is present. God wants us to be a Church that loves. But you know what? Love costs! It is much easier to hang a cross on the neck or stick a fish on the car's fender than to love.

Love costs. Love hurts. C.S. Lewis put it this way: "Love means being vulnerable, if you love something, your heart will surely be twisted and possibly be broken." If you want to be sure to keep your heart intact, you can not give your heart to anyone ... Wrap it carefully with hobbies and little luxuries, ... surely lock it in the chest or the coffin of your own selfishness, but in that chest - secure, dark, immobile, drowned - your heart will change, it will not be broken, it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. ... The only place outside of heaven where you can be sure of all the dangers of love ... is hell. "

Few of us want to risk loving. Few want to expose ourselves to be rejected, to take advantage of us. We prefer to live our own lives and that others live their lives, and not mix in the affairs of others, or let them come to us.

Is this the reason why we do not fully experience the presence of God among us? Let's read what 1 John 4:12 tells us: God remains among us, his love is perfected, if we love one another. What happens if we do not want to risk loving?

God wants to have a Church that loves. Will you be willing to love this year? Are you willing to help the person who needs it ... even if I do not thank you? Are you willing to give your brothers confidence ... even if you risk being taken advantage of?

This year, God wants us to be a Church that loves. Are you willing to play your part?

Finally,
God wants to have a Church that reaches

Before returning to heaven, Jesus told his disciples what he should occupy until He comes. Read Acts 1: 8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Jesus Christ has called us to witness to Him everywhere. He calls us to reach our relatives and neighbors in our Jerusalem. He calls us to support the work of evangelism and missions in places near and far - to the ends of the earth.

We already know how to do it - testifying, praying and giving. The only question is this: will we do it? We are surrounded by people who have to know about the love of Christ. Will we talk about Him? Will we pray for them? Will we give to support the ministry of our Church and of our missionaries around the world?

We can celebrate the fact that we exceeded by 75% the goal we had set for the offering of international missions. We know that God will multiply our effort. But can not we do more? I know yes. We can do more to reach those around us. We can do more to reach those who live around the world.

Reflection

Ronald Reagan, the former president of the United States, once told of something that happened to him as a child. His aunt took him to the shoemaker to make him a new pair of shoes. The shoemaker asked young Reagan if he wanted them with a square or round tip, but the future president was undecided.

A few days later, the shoemaker asked the question again, and Reagan again declared himself indecisive. Finally, he told her that the shoes would be ready in a couple of days. When Reagan went to pick up the shoes, one had a square tip and the other round!

Reagan then commented: "Right there I learned that if I do not make my own decisions, someone else will take them." You know what? It's time to make a decision. Do you want to be part of a Church that praises, a Church that loves and a Church that reaches? If you want to do it, take the decision today to commit yourself before God to work to make it so.

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